THE AFRICAN AESTHETIC

East African spices. Image from Akhaya Cookery School.

I am drawn to the African aesthetic,

whether in architecture,

contemporary art and craft,

interior design,

or fashion.

I am stirred by the colours,

the organic textures, shapes and patterns,

the earthiness

and the African Make-Do perspective.

This is such a beautiful image of African telephone wire baskets but I can't find the source. If the photographer come's across this post I would love to give him/her credit.

"Africa is great at improvisation, at making

something astonishing from

whatever is at hand.

It does not need expensive materials.

Africa has a genius for recycling.

It has taught me to discard nothing

as I can find a use for it later.

"African Make-Do" is the name

I have given this aesthetic." - Andrew Verster, Artist

Path to Peace Baskets. Read the story at this wonderful blog, here.

"It's the startling use of colour that

we get so right. You see fearless

combinations because there are no rules,

even though we do have cultural traditions.

Sometimes the beauty of African colour can make

you uncomfortable - and yet stimulated."

- Karen Roos, Editor, Elle Decoration South Africa

Yoruba Quilt from Anthropologie

"It inspires with its colors.

The tones may be subtle,

as if bleached

by the intense heat, or the colours

supersaturated like an explosion

of wild flowers in twilight.

The real beauty is how these colours go together...."

- Quotations from the book Africanismo

Alan Donovans house in Kenya.

Kuba Shoulder Bag. See more bags using African textiles here.

Interior Designer, Aline Matsika uses African accents in many of her interiors. See Aline's website here.

Kuba textiles add an exciting element to interior design. I particularly like the muted Kuba (Tcaka) upholstery and the shoowa cushion above.

Corrugated iron frames.

Yvonne O'Brien Interior Design.

Designer, Marzia Chierichetti' s retreat in Kenya. 

Mango wood and aliminium bowls by Marzia Chierichetti.

Aline Matsika Interiors.

Aline Masika Interiors.

Aline Matsika Interiors.

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE

Karen Kunc. Woodcut, etching and beeswax

No poetry today.... just thoughts .... ideas...

I'm enjoying images

of all the creative ways

artists scratch into or onto a variety of surfaces.

Paper, leather, wax,

clay, enamel, wood, stone, metal plates,

plaster, walls, sand.

Incised and painted wood panel by Cecil Skotnes

Ellen Johnson at Anderson O'Brien Fine Art

I love Ike Bushman's work!
Ike Bushman
Ivo Stoyanov. See more of Ivo's work here.

Rebecca Crowell. Scratching into wax.

Sgraffito Landscape by South African artist Walter Batiss. See more here.

Warding off Evil. Intaglio print on paper by Katie Kiley

"Kiley states that her art is about communication; the need to share something important and personal. For years, she has searched for imagery that conveys the thoughts, emotions, and spiritual insights that fascinate her. This search has led her to explore the imagery of the hand. She is particularly intrigued with gestures and their meaning."

Sgraffito pots by Demon Potters. See website here.

Ceramics by Lari Washburn. See Flickr photo stream here.

Sophie Milne. See website here.

Enamel Bowl by Helen Carnac. See blog here.

Stone Eye Idols excavated at Tell Brak, Syria. See here.

Landart by Andres Amador. See more here.

A PLACE YOU CAN GO

Photograph by Michel Poisson
There is a place you can go

where you are quiet,

a place of water and the light

on the water. Trees are there,

leaves, and the light

on leaves moved by air.

Birds, singing, move

among leaves, in leaf shadow.

After many years you have come

to no thought of these,

but they are themselves

your thoughts. There seems to be

little to say, less and less.

Here they are. Here you are.

Here as though gone.

None of us stays, but in the hush

where each leaf in the speech

of leaves is sufficient syllable

the passing light finds out

surpassing freedom of its way.

- Wendell Berry

(I found this poem at this beautiful blog)

Digital print by Fiona Watson

Digital Print by Fiona Watson

Valley of the Ghosts by sasanester

Jon Roman

Sue Lawty's pebble mandala. Read about the Beach Project here .

Photo by Jim Champion

"Be secluded in your secret heart-house,

that bowl of silence... " - Rumi

I found this photo on Tumblr. Photographer unknown.

"There is a silent self within us whose presence is disturbing precisely because it is so silent: it can't be spoken. It has to remain silent. To articulate it, to verbalize it, is to tamper with it, and in some ways to destroy it ". - Thomas Merton

David Severn

TURNING THE PAGE

Lament, Wooden book by Karen Kunc

With the new year approaching I am ready to turn the page and start afresh. On the inside cover of my journal for 2012 I have written a quote by Carl Sagan.

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known".

What better way to start a new year than knowing that somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known!

Thanks M for reminding me.

Everything/Something by Karen Kunc. Wooden book: screenprint and gouache.

A big thank you to all the wonderful people who visit my blog. The blog world has certainly enriched my life. A few days ago I was feeling a little frazzled as I usually do at this time of the year and after visiting a few blogs where I read many words of wisdom and encouragement I came away feeling refreshed and filled with hope for the new year. Thank you dear friends for your wisdom, enthusiasm and support!

Wishing you all the best for 2012 and many fulfilling hours, days or months of creativity!

Reference by Karen Kunc. Wooden Book, screenprint and gouache.

Also, a big thank you to all those artists whose beautiful art fills my blog gallery. What a joy to feast my eyes on such extraordinary work!

Though many of you have seen Velma Bolyard's amazing Rock Books, I wanted to celebrate them here on my blog. Click here to read more.

Christina Wiese's ceramic book. See website here.

Check out Wendy Kershaw's series of porcelain books on Flickr, here.

I discovered this photo of Anselm Kiefer's Standing Book on Catherine's Flickr photostream. Many more amazing gems to be found on Flickr. Click here.

Arabesque by Dot Krause. A cast iron book with thin sheet of polymer clay. Website here.

Falling in Place. A series by Redredday on Flickr. See here.

A bundle of Elizabeth Bunsen's little books. I check in on Elizabeth's blog regularly because her photographs and words make my heart sing. See blog here.

Book by Carol E McMahon. See website here.

Book from Ronald Chase's Play series. See website here.

Beautiful handmade pages by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. Click here to see The Spirit Book series.

"Each page is a meditation that echoes nature with both repetition and variety. "Reading" the book is meant to be a contemplative experience that takes the reader out of the everyday world and into a state of gratitude and reverence". - Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Photograph by Helena on Flickr. See more of her Diary of the Book-Lover series here.

2000 year old lead codice. Read about it here.

"May peace and peace and peace be everywhere".

- The Upanishads (c.900 - 600 B.C.)